Social/Outreach Ministry

January – Quilting

A quilting group was started by Grace Kamrath about a decade ago with a dozen women completing a hundred quilts a year for Lutheran World Relief. A LWR “tracker” noted that of the 80 quilts FLC Quilters delivered to the MPLS site this year, 73 were shipped to Lebanon. Other places that received quilts were: Chad, India, Peru, Philippines, Tanzania and Thailand.

The First Lutheran unit is a small part of that big picture. Through your donations and other sources, this year we spent $400 on four rolls of bating to make quality quilts. We made a $230 contribution in 2013 for shipping costs as it averages about two dollars per quilt to ship. There will be a container for monetary contributions on January 18th when quilts are displayed throughout our sanctuary. ( Donations accepted anytime at the Church Office)

We quilt mornings the fourth Tuesday of every month with an average of eight women; down four in number. Four of these make quilt tops at home and two sew around the binding to complete the tied quilt. A recent volunteer is assisting with the last step by picking up quilts and sewing around them at home. Please join us if you can tie a knot, pin edges together, sew together blocks at home or help the new volunteer with final sewing. Each small unit needs to maintain quotas to keep fulfilling goals of LWR. Contact the church office to be put in contact with this group.

February – First Lutheran Scholarship Fund

The Social/Outreach Team has designated the First Lutheran Church Scholarship Program as its focus for the month of February. The Scholarship Ministry of FLC aims to provide financial support and opportunities to graduating high school seniors desiring to further their academic development by attending an institution of higher learning. As in previous years, the FLC Scholarship Team will coordinate the acceptance of donations and the selection of scholarship recipients. One of the selection criteria for the scholarships is that the student has been active at FLC during their high school years.

You will find an envelope enclosed with the newsletter specifically for your convenience in contributing. Envelopes will also be available from the ushers at the entrance to the Narthex of the church. Donations can be placed in the offering plate, left in the church office or mailed to the church.

Every year generous donations have helped fund the First Lutheran Scholarship Program. On Sunday, January 31, a member of the Scholarship Team will give a Temple Talk at both services to explain the program in more detail. We thank members for their generous support in the past and ask for your prayers and support that God may continue to bless this program.

The team also coordinates the application process for the Johnson Family Scholarship, generously established by the family of Wayne Johnson in honor of the late Donna Johnson.

Scholarship application information and materials for both scholarship opportunities will be mailed to all eligible high school seniors in March 2016.
—The 2016 Scholarship Team

March – Food Shelf

Though the economy is improving, many of our neighbors still need the help provided by our local food shelf. By participating in our March Campaign you can Be the Hero. Fight Hunger. With your support, we can partner to answer God’s call to help those in need.
There are items frequently not available from Second Harvest food bank so the Food Shelf has to purchase them elsewhere at a greater cost. Our clients appreciate receiving these things from the Food Shelf.

We also appreciate cash donations. There will be envelopes in a basket on a table by the grocery cart in our gathering space for your cash donations. Another option is to bring your cash donation to the church office.
Thank you very much for your generosity.

Note: FLC has staffed the local food shelf in January and will staff it again in July. Thank you to all who have volunteered your time.

April – Bible Camp Campership Fund

May – Habitat for Humanity

The mission focus for the month of May is Habitat for Humanity. The Le Sueur/Henderson committee will be building a home on the lot at the corner of Dexter and 5th Streets. The family it is being built for is a veteran and his wife. The home will have some handicap accessible modifications.
Once again, your generosity in giving to the local committee will help pay for equipment needed for this build and will also go towards the cost of a part time building construction manager. You will find a wooden beam with a drain spout in the Narthex, Please put your donations into the drain spout and sign the beam, which will be used in the construction of the house.
Volunteers are always needed and appreciated in the building process. If you have time to give to this worthy project please contact the Church office or May Newsletter for contact information.
The Le Sueur/Henderson committee is appreciative of the city of Le Sueur for granting a variance for a build on this lot, which we were able to obtain at a minimal cost.

June -

July – Giant Days Parade Unit – Collecting Food Shelf Donations

August -

September – God’s Work. Our Hands.

October – Prayer Shawl Team

The Prayer Shawl Ministry is taking a break. We will not be meeting in the months ahead until May 2014. We want to thank everyone for your support in this ministry. If you know of anyone who needs the warmth & comfort of a prayer shawl contact the Church Office.

First Lutheran’s Prayer Shawl Team has been active for several years. They meet on the second Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. Shawls are crafted by hand and woven with prayer. Recipients of the shawls are members and others who are in need of being “wrapped” in prayer. Companion Congregation in Tulya, Tanzania The Southeastern Minnesota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America maintains a companion Synod relationship with the Evangelical Luthehran Church in Tanzania. Our congregation has a Companion Congregation relationship with the Tulya Lutheran Church in Tanzania.

November – Adopt a Family

2014 November’s Outreach Project
Last year 326 needy families in Le Sueur County, including over 800 children, had a brighter Christmas through the Adopt-a-Family program.
Adopt-a-Family is coordinated through Le Sueur County Human Services. Families are screened through the county offices on the basis of economic need. St. Wenceslaus Parish in New Prague arranges for local families, organizations and churches to adopt and shop for the chosen families. Cash donations are also accepted to supply the remaining families.
The goal of this program is to provide the basics: coats, hats, mittens, shoes, boots, socks and other clothing items. First Lutheran participated last year by donating gifts for 8 families; in 2014, we are upping the ante and “adopting” 10 families!
A Giving Tree will be set up in the narthex by November 15th. On the tree will be tags for you to choose for shopping. Each tag will include the gift item as well as the age, gender and size, with names removed for privacy. Financial dona-tions are also accepted. In fact, we’re off to a great start – our GNH children are contributing their offering monies toward this program this year!
All gifts must be delivered unwrapped and labeled with the original tag from the tree to our Giving Tree in the narthex by Sunday, December 7th.

December – Love Baskets

December’s Outreach Project
2014 – The date for this year’s Love Basket Project has been set for Saturday, December 20. As you are doing your fall baking please keep this project in mind. Donations of small breads, cookies, bars, candy, and special treats are very much appreciated. Cash donations will also be received toward the purchase of fresh fruit and packing materials to complete the baskets. As we get later into November, the committee will also be looking for individuals to make the home visits and deliveries. The contact person for this project is Susan Podhradsky. Call the Church office for contact information.
REMEMBRANCE…
As we prepare for another Advent/Christmas season and begin organizing the Love Basket Project, I would like to acknowledge the “behind the scene special contributions” of Donna Johnson. Donna would bake a vast variety and amount of special treats to be included in the baskets. If you have been a recipient of a delivery, you have been blessed by the love and care Donna put into everything she baked.

Bingo -

First Lutheran volunteers the 2nd Monday of the month at Gardenview Nursing Home running BINGO for the residents. BINGO will be played from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Volunteers should be there to set up at 6:15 p.m. The residents enjoy socializing with the volunteers, children are encouraged to volunteer also, it is a fun family volunteer event. If you are interested in volunteering please call the church office at 507-665-2615.